Enduring Revelations
by CM-Reider
Summary: Tobias Hankel has kidnapped the BAU's youngest member. They've discovered his location and are on their way to rescue Reid. Will they make it in time to save him? How will the aftermath of this intense case effect the team? (The Big Game/Revelations redo) Spoiler alerts. No Slash. Rated M.
1. Grab a Shovel

**WARNINGS:: Rated M for blood, violence and intense psychological goodness. Mild swearing throughout. No slash. (I do not own CBS, Criminal Minds or their characters.)**

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I know, I know. Another Revelations remake? But I just couldn't resist. Personally I can't get enough of stories like these and I hope that you're the same way. Please read and review! I'll keep the story going and update as often as I can! Enjoy.

PS- I went back and really took my time with this story. I've updated chapter one, so if you're already following this story you may want to give it another read. ;-)

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 **Enduring Revelations**

 **Chapter 1: Grab a shovel**

As Reid knelt on his knees, painstakingly digging his own grave, Charles pointed the gun down at him yelling, "Dig faster!"

Reid whimpered, "I.. I'm not strong enough." Charles came forward and stood over him threatening to shoot. "I said dig faster!" his voice boomed.

"I can't!" Reid's voice cracked. He collapsed further into himself, struggling not to break down completely. He was too exhausted to stand and too dehydrated to even cry. "You're weak! Just like my son!" Charles started to pull one arm out of its sleeve; gun still in hand.

This was it. As terrified as he was, Reid knew he wouldn't have another chance to fight back. This was his only opportunity and he was going to take it. When Charles turned to set his jacket down, Spencer grasped the shovel with both hands and aimed high; swinging it up with all the strength he had left and hoping to hit the desired target.

He managed to hit Charles hard on the shoulder, knocking the man to the ground with an angry grunt. Damn. He has hoped to knock the psychopath out cold. One the up side, the gun toppled out of the murderer's hand and out of sight. Reid adjusted his grip on the shovel and relished in a split second of relief.

His relief turned to terror when the man quickly stood, kicked the jacket out of his path and stomped over to him; his eyes were blazing with anger. Reid went to hit him again but wasn't fast enough. Charles caught the shovel mid swing and pushed against it, so hard that the handle jerked back and hit Reid on the side of the head, forcing him to lose his grip.

Reid landed flat on his back, agitating the wounds from his previous torture. His vision spun and blurred wildly and he could feel fresh blood drizzle down the side of his face. That didn't stop him from seeing the figure standing over him with the shovel. Before Reid could react, the shovel struck him in the torso, effectively knocking the wind out of him. Reid turned on his side with a pained moan, trying to protect his already battered midsection.

Before the shovel swung down again, Reid raised his hands in defense and gasped when the metal tore through his flesh. The gash from palm to wrist was barely visible in the pale moonlight but a concerning amount of blood was now rushing down his right forearm. Still, he managed to block the next blow using his left arm. He let out a piercing scream when a sickening snap was heard and white hot pain rapidly shot through his arm.

Reid's vision blurred even more than before and he willed himself not to pass out. He kicked out blindly, nailing Charles in the leg as hard as he could. The blow sent the other man to his knees with a loud growl. The enraged man's demeanor suddenly changed, and a calm took over. Anger still glowed within his eyes, but Reid knew that he was now face to face with Raphael.

The so called archangel stood, letting the shovel fall to the side and hit the ground. He took one slow step forward and pulled a large knife from his belt.

Reid shivered, and he knew it was more than Georgia's cold night air that shook him. He was scared. His eyes widened at the sight before him and his breath picked up. He held his now broken arm to his chest and used his legs to push himself into a backwards crawl, trying to get as far away from the other man as possible.

Raphael strode over to the scrambling boy, catching up to him easily. "No… please… …Nooo! Just leave me alone!", Reid cried. Raphael ignored the desperate pleading, knelt down and grabbed the young man's face, covering his mouth. He firmly pressed one knee into his side to keep him pinned down. Then he spoke in a calm and gentle voice, "Shhhh. It's over now. Time for judgement." Reid balled his less injured hand into a fist and pounded on Raphael's chest, struggling weakly to get the stronger man away from him.

But all of his struggles halted abruptly when an intense pain ripped through his abdomen. A second later he felt the slow drag of the knife being pulled out of him and then another sudden burst of pain. It took his breath away and the pain overwhelmed his senses. He let out a muffled scream when Raphael brought the knife up higher and plunged it through him again before slowly pulling it back out.

Reid cried into the hand still covering his mouth. He gripped the other man's shirt tightly; as if it were the only thing keeping him connected to the earth. It was getting harder to breathe by the second. He silently begged for it all to be over. Another crushing pain tore through his chest and everything slowed down. A small eternity went by before the knife was roughly snatched out; Reid could feel his life being pulled out with it. Suddenly he felt like he was underwater. Drowning.

The hand covering his mouth disappeared and the man stepped away from him. Reid took in a cool breath only to choke and cough the air back out of his lungs. He tasted blood. He gasped for breath, his lungs desperately screaming for oxygen. He pressed a shaking hand to his chest and gasped when he felt one of the gaping wounds.

The pain and terror he felt was too much. He tried to get his powerful mind to take him somewhere else. Anywhere else. He stared up at the tree branches and watched them swaying in the cool breeze. He tried to lose himself in childhood memories of swinging in the park with his mother. He tried to drown out the horror he was experiencing with long books, crossword puzzles and friendly laughter. He tried to mask the cold by imagining the warm Las Vegas sun on his skin; and he almost smiled. Almost.

He hardly noticed when his feet were lifted and he was dragged back to the grave he had been digging just minutes earlier. The man then let his legs fall back to the ground and he started digging where Reid had left off.

Reid didn't know how long he laid there fighting for breath before strong arms grabbed him and pushed him into a dark abyss. He landed on the cold earth like a rag doll that had been tossed by child having a tantrum. Moments after he landed in the pit, he felt dirt raining down on him and knew he was being buried. But at this point he couldn't bring himself to fight it. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. He was dying.

He thought about the people he loved. His mother would have no one to support her. No one to say I love you to. The team, his only other family in the world, would be devastated. They would feel guilt, anger and sadness and there was nothing he could do to comfort them. 'I tried.' Reid thought.

Had Hotch understood his message? Could Gideon forgive him for being so reckless? No doubt Morgan would be furious at his death. The girls would feel awful. Especially about JJ. He couldn't even think about what happened to her. It was all his fault. 'I'm so sorry. I wasn't strong enough.' He felt a shiver run through his body, colder than ice running through his veins. Everything felt so cold. So exhausting.

Finally the darkness took over and everything went numb.

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Hotch lead his team into the trees, along with several officers from the local police department. Morgan, Gideon, Prentiss and JJ were . They quickly and efficiently worked their way through the wooded cemetery searching and calling out Reid's name. The beams from their flashlights bounced off of trees, leaves and tombstones but still no Reid.

There he is!" Morgan pointed out a figure in the darkness.

"FREEZE!" Hotch yelled as they approached Tobias Hankel carrying a shovel through the darkness. The man stopped and looked at him before speaking. "Aaron Hotchner." The man's face was stone cold and expressionless. This had to be… "Raphael... Where is my agent?!" Hotch demanded.

Raphael didn't reply. Instead he threw the shovel to the ground and brought his gun forward to face Hotch. The officers all moved, ready to take the murderer down.

"Do NOT shoot!" Morgan shouted. He knew if Tobias was killed, they wouldn't be able to find Reid in time to save him.

"Hold your fire!" Hotch held a hand up indicating they all stop. "We need to know where he's holding Reid." Hotch said urgently. He slowly lowered his weapon dropping it to the side of him. "Where is agent Reid? If you let us help him we can discuss what to do next."

"It's too late to help him. He's either with God or the devil now." Raphael stated firmly.

Morgan's stomach flipped and his hands began to shake with rage. He couldn't be dead. Not Reid. JJ and Prentiss stood wide eyed, pointing their guns and waiting for an opening.

Gideon stepped forward. "Please.", he asked. "He's done nothing wrong. Just tell us where he is and we can help you."

"Pride. Too much confidence." Raphael said. "There will be no discussions. No negotiations."

Raphael looked at each team member before settling back on Hotch. "Time for you to join him." He said calmly and pulled the trigger.

Before anyone could react, Hotch went down and more shots where fired.

Hotch was on his back trying to catch his breath and JJ was at his side in a moment.

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" he pushed himself up and tried to stand.

"Hotch you were shot!" JJ argued.

"In the vest!" he bit back. "Just help me up. We need to find Reid."

When Hotch and JJ approached the others, they could barely hear the whispers.

Prentiss was speaking in a gentle hushed tone, "Please Tobias. Tell us where Reid is."

"Marley…. Spencer's… with Marley." Tobias sputtered.

Morgan heard the name and took off running with two officers. Hotch and JJ rushed past them to help find Reid.

"Do you think I'll get to see my mom again?", Tobias mumbled in a child like voice. Then his eyes went grey and his face went slack. Prentiss looked down at him sadly and brushed the mans eyes closed with her hand. The remaining two officers stayed with the body while Prentiss ran to help find Reid.

When she caught up to the others she saw that they were spread out looking at tombstones.

At the head of the group, Morgan shone his flashlight over an outstanding grave where the earth looked to be disturbed. A large stone angel overlooked the tombstone reading, 'Marley Davis'. "Here!, Morgan shouted. "He's here!"

He didn't wait for the others to reach him. He fell to his knees and started digging with all his might. The others joined in as they reached him, all shoving dirt to the side and digging with their hands. Fingernails tore at the soil and the frenzy of fast moving hands was almost dizzying.

After what felt like an agonizing eternity, JJ's hand brushed across cold flesh and she froze. "Oh God… Spence!" They all looked to see a pale arm smeared with blood in the dirt.

Hotch's eyes widened. "His head is up here, help me!", he yelled.

Prentiss came around to the other side of the grave and carefully dug around Reid's head while the others hastily worked to uncover the rest of his body. Once he was mostly uncovered, Morgan bent down and slid his hands behind Reid's shoulders. "We need to pull him out."

One of the officers grabbed behind his knees and waited for the go ahead. Hotch folded Reid's obviously broken arm out of the way before sliding one hand behind the boys back. "Slow and easy guys." Hotch announced. "Count of three."

They all knew the light young man wouldn't be difficult to lift, but they also knew that the less they moved him the better. They had to make this quick and smooth without injuring him any further. "1…2…3!" In seconds Reid's was out of the hole and gently being placed on the flat ground.

Morgan moved the mess of dirty brown hair to the side to uncover his face. "He's not breathing!" he roared. It came as no surprise to any of them. No one knew how long Reid had been buried.

Gideon came around to cradle Reid's head. Hotch loosened his tie and felt for a pulse. "Somebody go let the medics know it's clear and get them back here fast!" he ordered.

Morgan breathed twice into Reid's mouth before placing his hands on his chest ready to start compressions. "Oh God.." He tried his best to ignore the slick feeling of his best friend's blood around his fingers. JJ quickly took her jacket off and dropped to her knees, pressing it against as many wounds as she could cover.

Hotch stood and moved out of the way. He gave JJ an encouraging nod and Morgan started pressing against Reid's chest. After a few moments he paused, allowing JJ to blow a few breaths of air past their friends cold lips.

"Come on Reid." Morgan said while he started compressions again. "Come back to us kid!"

JJ breathed into him again before Morgan placed his hands even firmer on Reid's chest. "Please, please, please…" JJ whispered with fresh tears cascading down her face. She started sobbing loudly and seeing that she couldn't hold it together any longer, Hotch gently guided her away and Prentiss took her place.

Morgan's compressions were getting more aggressive. He was desperate to bring Reid back. "Don't you do this kid!" he yelled. "Don't you dare…" his voice broke and he paused.

Prentiss breathed for him next and Morgan went right back to pushing against his chest. 'Please God.', Morgan thought. It was ironic that a psychopath on a religious killing spree is what took for him to turn back to God. But they couldn't loose Reid. Not his little brother. He's too young; too good.

Morgan's thoughts were interrupted when he felt a jolt. He stopped to see Reid's body buck and he acted immediately. "Turn him!" he yelled, trying to control the mix of panic and relief.

Gideon was still cradling Reid's head and he quickly but carefully helped Morgan and Prentiss turn him on his side. Relief filled their hearts when Reid started to cough roughly. But the panic quickly returned when they saw he was coughing out dirt and blood. He gasped for air but seemed unable to take in a full breath.

"Where the hell are the medics?!" Hotch yelled into the darkness. He was struggling with JJ, keeping her from getting in the way.

Reid's body was shaking violently. Morgan and Gideon were at a loss for words, but fortunately Prentiss didn't need any prompting. She leaned in close to Reid and whispered sweetly. "Hang on Reid, you're gonna be okay. We're right here with you.", she encouraged. They held him while he continued to buck and sputter. His eyes fluttered but never opened. "It okay… you're gonna.. you're gonna be fine." Prentiss said; more to herself than she intended.

Finally the paramedics came running through the cemetery with a backboard. They quickly took over the situation, forcing Morgan, Gideon and Prentiss to stand to the side. Hotch finally allowed JJ to crumple to the ground at his feet. "Please, please, please be okay.", she begged.

After a few minutes of flurried movements and medical gibberish, the medics turned Reid onto his back against the backboard. He had a tube down his throat and a neck brace securely fastened. His shirt was cut open and his midsection was covered in bloody bandages and gauze. JJ's jacket lay abandoned and bloody on the ground.

Seconds later Reid was fully strapped to the backboard and the paramedics quickly lifted him and took off toward the ambulance. It was obvious that Reid couldn't have anyone ride with him, so the profilers opted to follow the bus to the hospital.

Gideon insisted that Hotch get checked out by the second ambulance. "At least go for Jennifer's sake." Gideon urged. "She needs rest. And you know as well as I do that she won't slow down for her own sake." They argued briefly before Hotch gave in. "Call me the second you hear anything.", he told Gideon firmly. "I'll contact you immediately.", he promised. "Look after JJ."?

Then Morgan and Gideon climbed into one of the SUVs with Prentiss, the calmest of the group, behind the wheel. Everyone was silent. There was nothing to say or do. The situation was so surreal.

They just quietly made there way to the hospital, following closely behind the ambulance carrying the youngest member of their team; hoping and praying they wouldn't lose him forever.

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	2. Off the Table

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Hey there! Sorry for the long wait, I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It was pretty difficult for me to write. Please read and review, let me know what you think!

 **PS** \- I made a few changes to chapter one so please go back and reread it if you've been following this story. Thank you for your patience and understanding!

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 **Chapter 2: Off the Table**

Morgan opened the back door and leapt out of the car before it was even stopped. Prentiss half-hazardly parked the SUV outside the hospital and ran toward the emergency entrance with Gideon close behind her.

They stopped when they reached Morgan, who was buzzing around the ambulance with wide eyes; watching the paramedics lower the gurney that held their young genius to the ground.

In the short distance from the ambulance to the hall, a young female doctor climbed on the gurney with Reid, hovering over him with gloved hands.

The medics passed on vital information and she took in every word before shouting orders to her colleagues. Then, just as suddenly as they arrived, they disappeared through swinging doors, taking their young friend away with them.

Morgan felt panic grip his heart. What if this was the last time he saw his brother alive? He hurried forward but Prentiss stopped him from forcing his way past the simple barrier.

The three exchanged worried glances and stood there in shocked silence until a grey haired nurse came over to them a few minutes later. She took in the shaking hands and bloodied clothes with a worried grimace. "You're with the FBI agent yes?", she asked. "Yes, that's correct.", Gideon nodded in response. "Come with me and I'll show you where you can get cleaned up."

The woman lead them down a hallway and into a small waiting room. "I'll close this room off for your use." She tried to offer a warm smile but couldn't quite manage it. "I hear you have others coming to wait with you; I'll make sure they get to the right place." "Thank you, Nurse..." Gideon inquired. "Cleman.", she answered.

"Help yourself to the coffee and if you need something to eat I'll be glad to point you in the right direction. There's a bathroom right through there and I'll be right back with some towels. Do you have any clothes you can change into?" The question was directed mainly at Morgan, who looked down at his shirt and hands, seeming to just now notice how much blood was on him.

"Yes, I can call and have our clothes brought to us. Thank you." Prentiss said. Nurse Cleman nodded and left the room, clicking it closed behind her.

Morgan suddenly rushed into the bathroom. And slammed the door. Prentiss sighed.

"I'm going to wait outside for Hotch and JJ to arrive." Gideon said. And he left without another word.

Only after he'd left did Prentiss sit down and allow herself to cry. She took several deep breaths to keep herself from loosing complete control. The minutes ticked by in silence. By the time Morgan had finished washing the blood from his hands and arms, Prentiss was back to her calm cool self.

Morgan stepped out of the bathroom wearing only his undershirt and blood speckled jeans. "I put my shirt in the waste basket." Morgan said numbly, setting his Kevlar vest on the floor against the wall. Prentiss just nodded. "Where's Gideon?", he asked.

Prentiss cleared her throat before speaking. "He went to find Hotch and JJ."

This time Morgan nodded. "I need to call Garcia… she's probably worried out of her mind wondering what happened." "Okay." Prentiss stood up from the uncomfortable chair and walked past Morgan to the bathroom. "I'm gonna have someone bring our go bags so we can change." Morgan nodded and stepped away from the bathroom to make his call.

Minutes later Prentiss came out of the bathroom to see Hotch and Gideon standing in the doorway talking quietly. They had already washed up and Hotch was now wearing dark jeans and a scrub top. She could just see a peek of the white bandages taped to his upper chest.

"Thank goodness for Kevlar, right?", she said setting her vest with Morgan's.

"Yeah… I'm fine." Hotch answered. "Just some bruising."

Emily stepped forward and sat down near the doorway. "Where is everyone else?", she asked.

"Morgan went to wait for Garcia at the front entrance and JJ is resting." Gideon answered.

Before Prentiss had the chance to ask anything else, Hotch explained. "They had to sedate her. They moved her out of the E.R. so by now she should be in a room somewhere on the first floor. She's exhausted and in shock but she'll be okay."

"I'll go sit with her once we regroup." She offered.

Hotch nodded. "Thank you."

The trio sat together quietly, none of them having anything to say. The silence was interrupted when the door opened so forcefully it almost hit the wall. Suddenly, a sobbing Penelope Garcia was standing in the middle of the room demanding answers. "Where is he?! Is he okay? Have we heard anything? Anything at all?"

Morgan closed the door behind them and guided Garcia to sit down next to Emily, where he then perched himself on the arm of the chair. "Slow down Baby Girl." He said rubbing her shoulder and telling her to breathe. "Garcia's caught up on everything up until we reached the hospital. Has anything happened while I was gone?"

"No. He's still in surgery. We haven't heard any word on how he's doing yet." Gideon answered.

"Where's JJ?", Garcia asked.

"She was sedated and is now resting in another room." Hotch explained. "She had a panic attack of some sort and started hyperventilating. All of her vitals are good and there's nothing physical to worry about. We just need to let her rest a while."

"I can't believe this. This case, it could've destroyed us. JJ with the dogs and Hotch getting shot. And Reid.. Oh God, Reid." More tears fell down Garcia's face and onto her lap. "We could've lost all of you… and this is just one case.."

Prentiss reached over and took Garcia's hand. She tried to focus on comforting Garcia so she wouldn't break down herself.

"If Reid dies… I'm quitting." Garcia declared through her tears.

Morgan stood up and groaned. "Don't talk like that, Garcia!" He shouted. "He's gonna be fine!"

Gideon got up and reached out to him. "Morgan, calm down. Here, have a seat."

Morgan melted into a chair across from the others, while Gideon kept a firm hand on his shoulder; grounding him. "He's 24… he's just a kid." Morgan shook his head and sighed. "He's gone through too much shit in his life to die now."

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Drowsy eyes opened with a sigh. JJ looked over herself to see that she was now wearing a hospital gown. Her hands were clean and fresh bandages covered her arm where she had been bitten by one of Hankel's wild dogs.

To her right she saw Prentiss sitting back in a chair with her legs crossed. It was clear that she had changed clothes and now her hair was settled into a messy bun. "Emily." JJ called, with tears in her throat.

"Hey." Prentiss came up to the bed and sat on the edge. "How do you feel?"

"Tired." JJ sat up in the bed and looked down at her lap with tear filled eyes. "Is Reid… how is he?"

"We still don't know." Prentiss took one of her hands. "He's been in surgery for three hours. The rest of the team is in a private waiting room upstairs." JJ nodded. "Let's go wait with them."

Prentiss didn't protest. "I'll go let the nurse know that we're headed up there. Be right back." When the door closed, JJ got out of bed, grabbed her go bag and changed into fresh clothes. The dirt and bloodstained clothes she had been wearing before were nowhere to be seen.

A few minutes later, Emily returned and lead the way to the waiting room. Anxious and eager eyes fell on the two women when the entered the room.

"JJ!" Garcia sprung up and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay."

JJ smiled the best she could. "Have we heard anything?"

"Not yet." Hotch answered. "It's good to have you back.

For the next two hours the team sat in silence. Every ten minutes or so someone would shift in their seat or get up and pace around the room. Nurse Cleman brought a fresh pot of coffee to the waiting room table and as bitter as it was they were all grateful.

At long last the door opened to reveal a young female doctor. Morgan immediately recognized her as the doctor that had climbed onto Reid's gurney at the E.R entrance.

He stepped toward her searching with desperate eyes, trying to determine if the news would be good or bad.

"You're all here for Spencer Reid?" the young woman asked.

"Yes." Hotch stepped forward. "How is he."

"Are you his father?" she asked confused.

"No, I'm Agent Hotchner. I'm his medical contact and power of attorney. We're with the FBI and Spencer is part of our team. We're the only family he has."

"Oh, my apologies, I've be in the OR and haven't received much information on him. Kaitlyn Dove." She held out her hand. "I performed the surgery on Spencer. Why don't we all have a seat?"

Everyone nervously took a seat. When a doctor asks you to have a seat, it feels like they're warning you that the news is not good.

"First off I'd like to say that Spencer survived his surgeries." There was an audible sigh of relief in the room and Garcia burst into silent tears once again.

"It was a rough few hours and his heart can't take much more stress. His heart stopped beating and we lost him for a few minutes. His vitals still aren't where they should be, so we'll be keeping a very close eye on him until further notice. He's alive, but he next 48hours are critical. If he can hold on for that long, he has a good chance. But he's not out of the woods yet.", the doctor explained.

"What do you mean." Garcia asked. "I thought he was okay…"

"Spencer was pretty severely beaten. His right arm and wrist are broken, he has several broken ribs and we are concerned about the trauma to his head and face. We are monitoring his concussion and doing everything we can to control the swelling in his brain. He has hypothermia and he also lost a lot of blood which caused him to go into hypovolemic shock. He's had several transfusions and we're still giving him fluids now to get his levels back up." Dr. Dove looked around the room to make sure she wasn't overwhelming the agents with information. As she expected, she had their full attention and while many eyes were full of emotion and fear, there was no doubt they were taking in her every word.

So she continued. "The trauma from the stab wounds is very severe. He was stabbed twice in the abdomen which was the case of most of his bleeding. We repaired the damage to his stomach and removed a small portion of his large intestine. He was also stabbed twice in the chest. One went all the way through his left lung and cased a great deal of damage. This took us the longest to repair and he's in for a very difficult recovery."

"The last one went through his sternum and came dangerously close to his heart. A few centimeters further and he would've died on the spot. We used some pins in his chest to make sure the bone heals properly. He's on a ventilator because breathing on his own right now is out of the question. Like I mentioned before, his heart can't take much more stress, so we'll be keeping him sedated until we see significant improvement. The rest is all up to him."

"Oh my God." JJ stood up and breathed deep. Morgan got up and stood next to her to support her. Garcia shook her head and excused herself before going to the bathroom.

They sat in silence for a short while until Dr. Dove spoke up again. "I'm so sorry. I know this is a lot to take in. But please know that we're doing everything we can for him. I am hopeful that he will recover from this. It's going to take a lot, but he's strong. He proved that on the table."

Hotch tried to smile but it surely seemed more like a grimace. "Thank you.", he said with a thick voice. "Thank you for saving his life." The doctor offered her most encouraging smile.

Garcia reemerged with a large wad of tissue to share with JJ.

"When can we see him?" Morgan asked.

"It should be about another hour. He's in recovery right now and once we're sure he's stable he'll be moved to the ICU. I'll make sure to have someone come and let you know once he's settled.", she answered. Just then her buzzer went off and she frowned. "I'm sorry I have another patient to see to now. If you have anymore questions please don't hesitate to ask."

With that the doctor disappeared, leaving six worried faces behind her.


	3. A Dim Room

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** **Hi everyone. I'm sorry for the very delayed update. I've been having a lot of health problems the past few months and I'm just getting back on my feet. Literally. Anyway! Don't worry about me giving up on this story because it's not gonna happen! I know this chapter is a lot shorter than the previous but I promise to step up on the next one. So keep a look out for more updates and I'll keep them coming as frequently as possible. Thank you so much for your patience! Enjoy and please review!**

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 **Chapter 3: A Dim Room**

Gideon left shortly after the doctor had spoken to them. As promised, a nurse came to the waiting room just over an hour later to speak with the team. However, Gideon still hadn't returned. Hotch called him only once, knowing that his claim of needing some fresh air was more about clearing his head in solitude. The guilt Hotch was feeling was overwhelming but he knew it was nothing in comparison to the guilt Gideon must be feeling right now.

Gideon was the person that recruited the kid in the first place, when he was just twenty years old. In the past four years, the two of them had been inseparable. Gideon was Reid's mentor not just in the job but in life. He guided the young man through FBI training, helped him cope with life's hardships and he even took him out for his first drink when he turned twenty-one. It was clear that Gideon looked out for Spencer like a son and likewise, Spencer looked up to him like father. Hotch knew that the guilt Gideon felt must be absolutely unbearable, and the fear of losing him forever, must be especially crushing for him.

Hotch was pulled from his thoughts when the nurse finally offered to show them to Reid's room. Everyone moved forward without a word and followed the nurse down two hallways until she stopped outside a closed door. "Now, I caution you that he doesn't look too good. But just know that this young man has a lot of fight in him. Just talk to him, let him know you're here and remember to be gentle. I'll give you all some time alone, just press the call button right away if you have any concerns at all."

With that, the nurse gestured the team inside and closed the door behind them. The overhead lights had been turned off in Reid's room and there was a vast difference from the soft glow they just stepped into and the harsh hospital lighting they had been exposed to for the last several hours.

When they stepped further into the dimly lit room, the first thing any of them noticed was how pale Reid was. His skin was impossibly white, aside from the countless colorful bruises covering his body. The many wires and IV's all around him drew attention away from the bruises on his arms, but most of the bruising on his face was clearly visible behind the tube coming from his mouth. The ventilator pumped up and down in tune with the mechanical rise and fall of Reid's chest.

Morgan cautiously approached the foot of the bed, wishing it were someone else lying there motionless instead of Reid. JJ was still standing near the door, frozen by the thought of moving any closer. But Garcia was not detoured. She rushed to the bed and gently took Reid's left hand. His skin felt like ice and his fingertips were tinted blue. "Hey baby boy, you're safe now." She leaned over him and kissed his forehead with quivering lips before scooting the chair behind her close to the bed and settling herself on it. "We're all here for you okay?"

She took Reid's hand in both of hers again and looked confused by the bandages wrapped between his fingers and around his wrist. The doctor hadn't mentioned anything about this. She looked over at his other hand expecting to see the same thing, but instead she found two splinted fingers and blue casting from his wrist almost to his elbow. "What happened to his hands?" she asked quietly. She furrowed her brow and stared between the other agents in the room.

Hotch approached the side of the bed opposite Garcia and carefully rested a hand on Reid's forearm before he replied. "They're defensive wounds." Hotch expertly hid a grimace with a stoic mask. "He was fighting for his life."

Morgan looked down and shook his head. He swept a hand over his head and took a deep breath. The anger he felt knowing that his little brother had suffered was overwhelming. The pain he felt knowing there was nothing he could do to protect him was suffocating. But worst of all, the fear he imagined Reid feeling in his last moments with Tobias Hankel made his heart ache.

A fresh wave of tears overcame Garcia as she spoke, "I'm so sorry Reid!.. We tried so hard to find you sooner." Morgan walked over to Garcia and stood behind her, giving her shoulders a reassuring squeeze. JJ wiped at her glistening eyes and Prentiss moved close to her and offered a comforting touch and a halfhearted smile.

The room was swarming with tension and anguish that seemed endless. After standing over Reid for a while, Hotch instructed the girls to go stay in a hotel. The exhaustion they all felt left little room for argument, but that didn't stop JJ from protesting. "He's lying in that hospital bed because I left him!… I can't leave him again."

"JJ you know that isn't true. None of us could have known this would happen. Besides, if you had been together, it's very likely that he would have killed one of you on the spot and taken the other as a hostage anyways." Derek said. JJ just shook her head and clenched her teeth.

"He's right." Prentiss said. "And there's nothing you can do for him here Jennifer. He's in the best hands and they're the only people that can help him heal. This case has taken a bigger toll on you than the rest of us. You need to rest." Finally, JJ nodded and anxiously approached the bed.

Now that she was up close, everything seemed more real. The tubes, the wires, the bandages. She could hardly make out her friends face beneath the intubation and the dark spots. She wanted to say something. Anything. She took a deep breath before leaning in close to Reid. "I'm so sorry… for everything… I should have stayed with you, I just… I'm sorry Spence." Tears were making their way down her cheeks once again. She couldn't even bring herself to touch him. "You're gonna be okay."

"He's strong. He'll make it through this.", Hotch said firmly. It was almost like an order for Reid to survive and a command for the universe to let him. Knowing that it would take an army to get his younger colleague out of Reid's room, he added, "Morgan keep me updated. I want someone with him at all times." Morgan nodded, not knowing or really caring where Hotch was going. All he cared about was making sure Reid made it through the night.

With one last look at his young friend, Hotch turned and followed the girls out of the building.

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Hotch knew that Gideon left the hospital on foot and against the teams agreement, he used his profiling skills to determine where he could find Gideon now. In minutes, he found himself standing in a large elegant room with a small bar off to the side and comfortable looking chairs all around. A grand piano was in the corner of the room and a skilled musician way playing the keys into a soothing tune.

He walked toward the center of the room and sat next to Gideon, who was sitting with his eyes closed, nursing a glass of scotch. "How is he?", he asked without opening his eyes.

Hotch leaned back in his chair and sighed. "It's not good. But he's alive. His doctor is hopeful that if he can hang on for the next 48 hours he'll make a full recovery." Gideon opened his eyes and took a drink from his glass. They sat in silence for a while, just taking in the music.

"And Jennifer?" he asked.

"I told the girls to get a hotel. They're all exhausted. Emotional. JJ feels guilty, but we're all dealing with guilt in some way. Not to mention fear.", Hotch answered.

"Indeed we are." Gideon agreed. ""Fear is the tax that conscience pays to guilt.""

Hotch felt guilt yes, but beyond even that, he felt like an idiot. The events of the last few days played over and over in his head. He was thinking about how they could have found Reid sooner. If they had picked up on his clues the first time, they would have found him before he was buried alive. If Hotch and Gideon hadn't sent their youngest and least experienced agents out to the middle of nowhere, it would have prevented Reid from being taken in the first place.

Hotch felt more fear that he would ever admit to anyone on his team other than Gideon. He wasn't sure if that was because he trusted the older man or if he knew that with Gideon's profiling skills, he had likely already seen right through his stone-faced mask. Either way, Hotch tried with all his might not to voice his fears out loud. But it was a losing battle.

"There's still a chance that Reid will die. He can't breath on his own…" Hotch's voice tightened and his breathing picked up just slightly. ".. his heart is weak and if there are any complications at all he'll –" Gideon cut him off there. "Just breathe Aaron.", he said calmly. Hotch closed his eyes and obeyed. After hearing a few calming breaths from Hotch, Gideon went on to say, "Spencer is in for a long fight but he's strong. So just like I said before… he'll make it."

Hotch opened his eyes and nodded. "Yes. Yes, he'll make it."

He said with confidence. "He has to."

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	4. Behind the Scenes

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 **AUTHOR'S NOTE:** **I hope you all enjoy this chapter and it was worth the wait. Please read and review!**

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 **Chapter 4: Behind the Scenes**

 _ **The next morning**_

Although the case had ended with the unsub dead, there was still a lot of red tape to go through. After working diligently, there were no other victims to discover or families to notify. CSI had swept everything clean, collected evidence and written most of their reports.

Garcia had managed to shut down Hankel's website from his computer and she organized most of his files to put on a compact disk for evidence. That's when everything changed. The team came to the conclusion that the deaths were the only thing Tobias Hankel recorded. But Garcia had inadvertently uncovered the truth when she came across several video files of the victims that hadn't been posted. Videos the BAU hadn't seen.

She searched through the recordings and found that several hours of footage were taken before the victims were murdered. Some contained fighting and yelling, while others contained frightened tears and begging. In the background, a quiet voice was heard reading Bible verses or angry dogs barking and jumping. She hoped with every fiber of her being that she wouldn't come across any videos of Reid, but in the back of her mind she knew she would be wrong.

Garcia held her breath, and instantly regretted watching the first video picturing her young friend. She was frozen to the spot with tears in her eyes. What they hadn't known, is that one of the victims had been tortured; Spencer Reid. She yelled for Hotch and Gideon and they immediately dismissed her. A police officer took her back to the hotel to calm down while Emily stayed with the two elder agents.

Technically the case had been solved. There was no procedural reason to watch the videos. Aside from their natural need to know what Reid had been through, there was one question the agents couldn't answer. Why? Why was Reid tortured when none of the other victims had been? They had their suspicions but none of them could be sure unless they looked at the evidence. And that meant, watching the tapes.

Gideon was the one to press the play button. When the screen came to life, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Reid was sat on the familiar wooden chair with his hands cuffed in front of him. His eyes wondered, carefully watching the figure just off the screen. A few moments later the figure stepped into view with a booming voice. "Last chance boy! Will you confess?" the boy slowly shook his head and looked wearily at 'Charles'.

At the boys answer, 'Charles' stepped forward and set a large bucket on the ground next to the chair. He roughly grabbed Reid's wrists and opened one side of the handcuffs, only to re-cuff his hands behind the chair instead. He grabbed fist full of hair and pulled Reid's head back before putting a cloth sack over his face.

Understanding sliced through the trio of agents and despite knowing what was about to happen, they cringed. 'Charles' reached down for the bucket full of water and began to slowly pour it over the sack covering Reid's face. As expected he instantly began to struggle and choke. He twisted and pulled at his binds, trying all he could to turn away from the drowning sensation.

'Charles' stopped pouring and set the bucket down again. Finally he removed the sack and let go of the boys hair. Reid lunged forward and coughed several times, water shooting out from his lungs. Before he fully caught his breath, his head was yanked back again. "Change your mind yet boy?" Reid sputtered between coughs and gasps, "P-pleeaas…. I din't do anyt.." before he could finish, the sack was back over his head.

His cries were ignored and cut off by the sound of gaging and coughing. This went on for minutes and they all sighed in relief when the bucket was finally empty. The sack was removed a final time and Reid immediately gasped for air. He was absolutely soaked and visibly shaking. It took several minutes for him to calm his breathing and once he did, 'Charles' leaned down and whispered something only Reid could hear. Reid let out a choked sob and 'Charles' walked toward the camera and the recording ended.

Gideon, Hotch and Prentiss stood in silence for a few minutes.

"How many more like this?" Gideon asked, pacing away from the computer. Emily knelt over the device and scrolled through. "Looks like there are four more that we haven't seen.", she replied as calmly as she could.

Gideon said nothing else, so Hotch made their next decision. "Okay, we'll take a break and come back to this later. Prentiss I want you to call and check up on the girls but don't talk to them about watching the videos. Then get back to what you were doing before. I'm going to call Morgan."

With that, Prentiss walked out the door and Gideon went to follow her. "I'm going for a walk. I'll be back in ten." He said without looking back. Hotch sat down and felt himself melting into the chair. After taking a few minutes for himself, he pulled out his cellphone and called Morgan.

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 _ **The next day**_.

Morgan had been alone in the hospital room for the past two hours and was doing everything in his power to avoid looking at Reid. He's known the whole time that his avoidance is due to fear, but he hadn't paid it any mind. Every so often he would peek behind the book he was reading to look at the monitors and read the numbers displayed on the screen.

Morgan was by no means a doctor but he had enough first aid training in the past to know that the kid wasn't doing well. His worry caused him to look at Reid's face and really take in all of the damage for the first time since he was admitted.

His face was littered with bruises; the most prominent one being on the left side of his forehead. Part of the wound was wrapped in a bandage that hid the stitches in his hairline, but the angry yellowish purple bump wasn't fully covered. He hadn't seen what caused that particular injury but he didn't envy those that had.

What little Hotch had told him about the video recordings made his hands shake. The terrifying memory of seeing Reid tied to a chair being beaten was more than enough to overwhelm every one of his senses. He couldn't imagine having to see more. He swallowed thickly and looked away from his friend once again.

He went back to reading but found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. He found himself reading the same sentence over and over. Frustrated, he closed the book and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He squeezed his eyes shut tight when images of finding Reid in the cemetery flashed through his mind. The fear he felt not knowing if his little brother was dead or alive. The adrenaline he felt when digging for his body. The determination he felt when trying to resuscitate him. The massive wave of nausea that overcame him when he felt the bending and crunching of ribs and slick blood beneath his hands. It all felt as real as it had when it first happened.

Morgan knew without a doubt that he was having a flashback. He breathed through it and reminded himself that this was a normal response to an abnormal situation. Once he had calmed himself, he looked up to see that Reid's vital signs had fallen once again.

He cringed. Dropping his book to the floor, he scooted his chair even closer to the bed. Mindful of Reid's bandages, he gently took his friends hand in his own. The cold was off-putting. The rise and fall of his chest was hardly visible and if not for the steady beep and wheeze of the machines, Morgan would be fully convinced that death had just taken him.

"Hey kid…" Morgan struggled to find his words and he hoped with all his heart that Reid would be able to hear him once he decided what to say. "I know you're not thinking about giving up on us now. You've fought too hard and too long to just give it all up." He reached up and brushed some hair behind Reid's ear.

"Look pretty boy, I know you've gone through a lot of bad things in your life and you've seen things that no one should ever have to see. This case… God you must have been so scared." His own words caused a painful lump in his throat. "But you can't leave us okay? There are too many good things you haven't gotten to experience yet… so you have to wake up." Morgan cleared his throat and squeezed Reid's hand a little tighter.

"As soon as you're feeling better I'm taking you on a vacation." Morgan laughed to himself at his next thought. "Hell I'll even go to Comic Con with you next year. I'll dress up and everything." He looked over at the monitor again, hoping to see improvement, but instead, it seemed to be worse. He looked back at Reid sadly and said, "Just… stay with me, okay little brother? I need you."

"We all do." JJ said from the doorway with tears in her eyes.

Morgan reluctantly let go of Reid's hand and stood up to meet JJ. She reached out to him and he hugged her without hesitation. "I still can't believe this.", she whispered.

Morgan squeezed her tighter. "I know… I know.", he soothed.

After several moments, they pulled away and sat at the window together.

"Did Hotch tell you?.. about the videos?" JJ asked. Morgan simply looked to the floor and nodded.

"I hadn't even thought about what happened off camera." JJ went on. "He went through so much more than we thought. I don't know what I expected, but…. God, he was tortured. And I still don't understand why..." JJ let her tears fall then.

Morgan took her hand and slowly turned to look at Reid across the room. He couldn't stand to see him that way; beaten and tortured. Spencer Reid never should have been a victim. There was no reason to target him. All the kid had ever done was good. But he knew that Tobias didn't need a reason.

"Tobias was a sadistic psychopath." Morgan started. "He was on a mission and as torn as his mind was, he was organized. He watched his victims, discovered their sin and kidnapped them to make them pay for it. After forcing them to confess he killed them in whatever way his alter personalities saw fit."

"Why are you telling me this as if I wasn't there?" JJ demanded. "Just like the rest of the team, I saw what he did and then I had to watch him do the same thing to Reid!"

"JJ, he didn't do the same thing to Reid." Morgan explained. "The other victims weren't physically tortured because Tobias already knew what they did. Taking Reid messed up his order. The only reason Reid was taken in the first place is because Tobias' personalities couldn't just kill him without cause. He added the torture as a way of forcing Reid to confess to committing a sin so that he could justify his actions and kill Reid with a clean conscience."

"He survived by bonding with Tobias." He saw the information registering in JJ's mind. "Raphael judged and questioned him. Charles tortured him. But Tobias kept him alive."

JJ blinked. After about a minute, she stood up, brought her hands to her face and wiped the tear stains away before speaking. "You all keep telling me that this isn't my fault… but it really is isn't it?" Morgan went to speak but JJ waved him off. "No really, I know protocol better than anyone! And Spence, he just… he'd never been out on his own and I'm not even an agent! If I had his back… if we had just waited instead of splitting up, Reid wouldn't have been through all those horrible things! We both would have been safe!"

"This isn't your fault Jennifer." The deep and serious voice of their boss startled JJ into silence.

"It's my responsibility to keep the team safe during cases. Sending you and Reid out on your own was my call and it was irresponsible." Hotch explained. "Like you said, you aren't even a field agent yet, and Reid is just a kid. Neither of you are even required to carry a gun. I didn't think about the possibility that I could be sending you to interview someone dangerous, let alone the unsub himself. You were only out there due to my negligence…" he sighed. "None of this, is your fault." Finally, JJ nodded.

"How's he doing now?" Hotch asked.

"I'm worried." Morgan replied. He looked at the monitor and frowned when he saw that vitals had gotten worse. "He's really weak. His vitals have been dropping the last few hours. I called a nurse and she had the doctor come check in on him about half an hour ago."

Hotch took a breath. "And?"

Morgan shook his head. "There's nothing else they can do. Doc says it's all up to the kid now."

"The case is done. We can go home at any time but I think I speak for all of us when I say that we'll be waiting for Reid here." Just when Hotch finished his sentence Garcia came into the room with a large gift bag and three balloons.

"Hey." Garcia greeted, while buzzing around the room and pulling things out of the bag. First came two battery powered candles. "I just came from the gift shop. It's so dark and dull in here! I want him to feel nothing but good vibes when he wakes up." She set flowers near the bed and arranged several Doctor Who figurines around the vase. Then she pulled a grey and white stuffed cat out of the bag and carefully tucked it under Reid's arm.

"Here. These are for you guys." She handed the bag to Morgan, leaned down to kiss Reid's forehead and sat down next to the bed.

Morgan smiled at what remained in the bag. There were snacks, notebooks, a chess board, a deck of cards and even a yoyo.

JJ peeked over Morgan's shoulder and smiled. "I guess we better get comfortable. Looks like we're going to be here for a while."

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It was early evening now and knowing that everyone would be hungry Prentiss stopped to pick up some sandwiches while Gideon waited in the car. She dreaded the awkward silence that she knew would continue once they were back on the road. On the other hand the silence was nice after such an emotionally charged morning.

Hotch headed straight to the hospital that morning, but Gideon insisted on going to view the last of the videos. He hadn't said much since they left the scene. But really, what was there to say? Knowing that the youngest member of their team, their family, had been through such a terrible ordeal was bad enough. But seeing it with their own eyes was even more devastating.

Prentiss stopped at a red light and turned to look at Gideon. His blank expression worried her but she said nothing. Once she parked the SUV they headed upstairs in silence.

However, the silence was interrupted by the sound of loud voices, rushing feet and most frightening of all the frantic beeping of machines. In that instant they hoped all the commotion was caused by any other patient. Anyone but him! But then, they heard crying that sounded all too familiar. Garcia.

Prentiss looked to Gideon with wide eyes and they both rushed around the next corner praying that they were wrong. But no. The rest of the team was standing just outside of Reid's room.

Morgan stood in front of the window with a hand pressed to his mouth. Garcia was leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hallway, trying to catch her breath through the tears. JJ's body was rigid as she held Garcia's hand with a numb expression. Hotch's stony mask had been replaced by a face that had aged twenty years in the last sixty seconds. He looked exhausted, and more surprisingly, afraid.

In just a few seconds all of their hope had been crushed, by the flatline displayed on Spencer Reid's heart monitor.

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